New York state will adopt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new mask guidance for fully vaccinated people starting Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.
Two weeks after their final Covid-19 vaccine dose, people no longer need to wear a face mask or stay 6 feet away from others in most settings, whether outdoors or indoors, Cuomo said, following the CDC’s updated public health guidance released Thursday.
They will still need to wear a mask when traveling by plane, bus or train as well as in certain places such as at hospitals, schools or at establishments that require them, he said. Unvaccinated people and those with compromised immune systems should continue to wear masks, he said.
Cuomo first ordered all New Yorkers to wear a face covering while in public in April of last year.
“Let’s get back to life,” Cuomo said during a press conference. “If you are vaccinated, you are safe. No masks, no social distancing.”
More than 9.9 million adult New Yorkers have had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, according to Cuomo. Roughly 8.3 million adult New Yorkers are fully vaccinated, he said. The state’s positivity rate, or the total percentage of tests returning positive for Covid, is at 1.1% as of Sunday, its lowest level since Sept. 29, Cuomo said.
“We are managing Covid; we haven’t defeated Covid,” he said. “We still have more work to do on vaccinations.”
Cuomo also announced the New York City Marathon, the world’s biggest marathon, is returning on Nov. 7. The race will permit 33,000 runners, or 60% of capacity. Health and safety guidelines will be in place, subject to change as race day approaches, Cuomo said.
“This is about rekindling the spirit of New York,” Cuomo said. “You can open buses, you can open subways, you can open businesses, but we need to get the exuberance back.”
Source: Business - cnbc.com
